THE Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, on Monday, called on all appointees of the Federal Government of northern extraction to either support President Bola Tinubu or step down from their positions.
This was as a northern group, Arewa Progressive Forum, dissociated itself from the recent views of the Northern Elders Forum against President Tinubu’s approach to security in the region.
In a statement made available to newsmen by its National Secretary, Abbas Danbatta, on Monday, the Arewa Progressive Forum decried the recent outbursts of the NEF against Tinubu, saying it did not represent the opinion of the North on Tinubu’s performance.
Matawalle’s call came after Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who formerly served as the spokesperson for NEF and is currently the Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency, expressed a differing opinion regarding the minister’s defence of Tinubu’s administration.
The spokesman for NEF, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, had, in an interview last week, said going forward, the North would prioritise unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land.
“The North made a mistake in voting Bola Tinubu to the Presidency in 2023, and it is unlikely that they will repeat the same error in the future.
“They have learnt from their past misstep and will strive to select a candidate who can unite the country and govern in the best interests of all Nigerians.
“Moving forward, the North will be more cautious in selecting a candidate for the presidency. They will prioritise someone who is seen as more inclusive, less controversial, and more aligned with the interests of all regions of the country.
“The mistake of supporting Tinubu in 2023 has taught them the importance of unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land,” the NEF spokesman was quoted as saying.
On Saturday, Matawalle slammed the NEF for saying it regretted supporting Tinubu in the 2023 general election and described the action of the sociopolitical group as a political burden on the North.
“The so-called NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute for the group’s personal and selfish gains.
“This NEF is more of a political burden to northerners. The group is seeking to erode other people’s rights to be recognised or made relevant in the scheme of things, despite the failure of their sponsored candidate in the 2023 general elections,” Matawalle said.
The comment, however, did not sit well with Baba-Ahmed, who, on his X (formerly Twitter) post on Sunday said Matawalle was ill-advised, noting that a better defence could have been presented.
He wrote, “Scathing criticism of NEF by a junior minister of defence, Matawalle, is ill-advised. He could have done a better job for this admin if he identified the contributions of especially northern ministers and other appointees like me to improving security and reducing poverty in the North.”
However, replying Baba-Ahmed in another statement on Monday, Matawalle said as an appointee of the current administration, Baba-Ahmed needed to work towards its success and protect it from unwarranted criticism rooted in ethnic or narrow interests.
“Consequent to my position on the recent attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR by a spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, it has come to my attention that Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who once served as the spokesperson for the group and currently a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency, took to his page on X to express a different position.
“According to Dr Baba-Ahmed, my stand against the unjust and spurious attack against the new administration of President Tinubu, which is working very hard to reposition our country and economy for the better is ‘ill-advised’. He suggested I could have done a better job in my defence of the administration where I have the rare honour of serving as a Minister.
“Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with the NEF is well-known. The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser and it is incumbent on him to work for the success of the government he is part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and vicious attacks from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat the polity for myopic reasons.”
Matawalle emphasised that every appointee under Tinubu carries a significant responsibility to promote and highlight the government’s achievements across all sectors.
He stated, “It is pertinent to state that every appointee of President Tinubu, including Dr Baba-Ahmed, owes the government a copious duty to promote, elucidate and advance the good works and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors.
“As appointees of the government from the North, we must all take a stand, be unequivocal and be counted in the roll of honours for our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving.”
The minister warned that it was not a time for silence or acquiescence in the face of intimidation or misrepresentation, but rather an opportunity to demonstrate loyalty or make way for others who will.
“This is not the time to keep quiet in the face of intimidation and misrepresentation of the efforts and achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. We must stand up to be counted for being on the part of the government or take our exit,” he added.
The Arewa Progressive Forum, in its statement, said it was an error for any political association or group to come out openly and announce the regret over a decision of the majority, as it lamented that northern elders were derailing from their advisory role to the government on national issues.
The group further supported Matawalle over his response to the NEF, saying the people behind the claim were more interested in personal gains than the unity and survival of Nigeria.
“We wholeheartedly endorsed the reactions of the Minister of State Defense, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, to some members of this group. They are not in tune with the current reality in the North. The reaction to their utterances by the Minister of State for Defence is appropriately done to safeguard the Presidency because it is an institution that needs the respect of all Nigerians,” it stated.
It added, “Northern elders should be seen as neutral, mediators or opinion shapers on national unity, cohesion, and progress without regional bias. This is key because Nigeria’s unity can’t be negotiated on the pages of newspapers.
“The same elders that ignored and failed to unite some of our political gladiators that were fighting one another in Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kaduna states are talking about the region being abandoned to its plights.
“Where were they when a former Kano State governor Umar Ganduje, was having serious political and administrative issues with his immediate predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that almost destroyed the economic development of Kano, a centre of commerce for the region; just like that of Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, who was known to be at loggerhead with his predecessor, now Minister of State, Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, over issues that could have been amicably resolved?
“The same with Senator Aliyu Wamakko and Attahiru Bafarawa in Sokoto State, before going into a fight with Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. In Kaduna, there is a brewing misunderstanding between Governor Uba Sani and his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. All the Northern elders cared about was President Tinubu. Why abandon your house on fire, trying to quench another one’s place?
“We are concerned that the northern elders have one of their members as an adviser on political matters to the Vice President, the person of Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who could have facilitated a meeting with who and who in the seat of power to discuss issues affecting the region or the country in general, rather than rushing to the press.”
The forum, however, noted and commended the joint efforts of the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and the Minister of State (Defence), Matawalle whose proactive measures had helped improve security in the Northern region.
“We are of the view that President Tinubu’s approach to the issues of security in the North, so far, especially the North-West, is one of the best, compared to his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari’s approach,” the statement concluded.
